A police chase involving a stolen vehicle ended in tragedy on Wednesday evening, August 6, when a suspect fleeing from the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) caused a crash that claimed the life of an innocent driver in Jackson County.

According to authorities, the pursuit began around 5:49 p.m., after Troopers located a blue Chevrolet Silverado on Shallowford Road that matched the description in a BOLO (Be-On-the-Lookout) for a stolen vehicle reported taken from Hardy Chevrolet in Gainesville.

When a Trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver refused to pull over and a high-speed chase ensued through multiple city streets. GSP made two unsuccessful attempts to end the pursuit using a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) on SR 60 (Queen City Parkway) — one south of SR 369 (Jesse Jewell Parkway) and another north of Aviation Boulevard.

As the suspect continued south on SR 60 (Candler Road), he struck another vehicle from behind, forcing it off the roadway and into several trees. The driver of that vehicle tragically died from injuries sustained in the crash.

Despite the deadly collision, the suspect continued fleeing, prompting GSP to execute another PIT maneuver on SR 332, which finally caused the stolen truck to strike a power pole and come to a stop.

The suspect then fled on foot, but was quickly subdued after Troopers deployed a taser. He was taken into custody without further incident.

Neither the suspect nor the deceased victim has been publicly identified at this time. Authorities continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the pursuit and crash.

The Georgia State Patrol is urging anyone who may have witnessed the chase or crash to come forward with information as the investigation continues.